A waste collection driver has recalled how he found two children sleeping inside a bin that was about to be emptied into a crusher.
Dave Pyne, an HGV driver for 16 years, said his “sixth sense” told him to check the cardboard recycling bin before throwing its contents in the back of the lorry that has a blade to crush anything thrown into it.
According to Metro UK, the 65-year-old, from Holywell in North Wales, said: “I couldn’t believe what I saw. Inside were two young kids sleeping, a boy and a girl. They must have only been nine or 10.
“I woke them up and they were so scared they jumped out and ran off. I reported it to social services but I never heard anything back.”
A report by waste management firm Biffa revealed a shocking surge in the number of homeless people using bins for shelters. At least seven people have been killed in the last five years because they were sleeping in bins, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr Pyne said that although his crew doesn’t regularly find people sleeping in bins they usually find evidence of someone having been there recently – especially near businesses and shopping centres.
He told North Wales Live: “Sometimes we find blankets and belongings or fresh food wrappers.
“I encourage everyone I work with to always check the bin. You would never forgive yourself if you didn’t and there was a person inside. Once that bin is emptied into the truck it’s too late. There is a blade inside that cuts through the rubbish. A person would be crushed.”
